Seven collection-worthy techno-craft designs

Digital Display

As we covered in our recent Pixels and Beyondstory, the rapid expansion of digital technologies has irrevocably changed the face of contemporary design. But that doesn’t mean that designers are remaking the world into a dystopian sci-fi set. In fact, there are many tech-savvy talents who are using digital tools in decidedly artisanal ways, utilizing new capabilities to amp up their own hands-on practices. Surprising, engaging, and—yes—occasionally futuristic, here’s a collection of some of our favorite digital-craft works.

Deconstruction Lamps by Hanieh Heidarabadi

Hanieh Heidarabadi’s delicate Deconstruction Lamps are a perfect example of the fruitful union of digital technology and artisanal craftsmanship. The porcelain lamps are created with a 3D printer, and the result is an incredibly thin shade that traditional production can’t match. The delicate light glows through the 3D-printed porcelain in intricate, extruded patterns.

Hybrid Vessels by Tal Batit

Young Israeli designer Tal Batit’s award-winning Hybrids series of ceramic vessels borrows from ancient ceramics traditions and forms, combining these influences with digital production methodologies and a contemporary finish. Each piece in the series is made from at least two separate, custom-made, 3D-printed molds, and the resulting components are joined in unlikely and playful composites.

Copper Mine Bowl by David Derksen

The Copper Mine Bowl by David Derksen is a stunning work of functional art that uses 3D-imaging and modeling techniques along with a 3D-printed mold as the basis for creating this replica of a real copper mine in the form of a copper bowl. This elegant conversation piece has a timeless look that belies its conceptual and technical origins.

CAD Weaving Stools collection by Dafi Reis Doron

The conceptual foundation for the beautiful CAD Weaving Stool collection by Dafi Reis Doron is a new composite material woven from leather and veneer and simulated using 3D software so that the optimal cuts can be made from the block. In this way, the digital software allows the designer to essentially see inside the solid composite block and select the most visually appealing patterns before making the cuts with a CNC machine.

Bestiary Collection by Analogia Project for Camp Design Gallery

When Milan-based Camp Design Gallery invited Analogia Project to design a new collection, the pair of RCA-trained designers drew inspiration from an array of spooky, medieval Romanesque architectural decorations. After digitizing images of their favorites, they 3D-printed molds of the gargoyle-like figures, which were used to craft silvered ceramic appliqués for super sleek, high polish stainless steel mirrors and tables. The resulting design language is other worldly, outside of time and space.

CMYK Lights by Dennis Perren

German designer Dennis Parren originally created his CMYKLight for his Design Academy Eindhoven graduation project. What a stunner! This sculptural light piece employs cyan, magenta, and yellow-hued LEDs that combine to create white light—that is, except in those places where each of the light sources is being blocked by the frame of the lamp. The effect is a biomorphic pattern of tricolored shadows emanating outward from the sculptural centerpiece.

Borgesia Flesh Flower by Vincent Fournier

The Borgesia Flesh Flower by Vincent Fournier for Materialise epitomizes how the precision of digital printing facilitates the unfolding of artistic vision. These limited-edition sculptural objects are speculative creations on the border between science and art, biology and design. The incredible detail possible with 3D printed epoxy resin brings these fascinating works to life.